Need help with buying a new lense -- FAST

[flashfire_06]

hi guys

i have a nikon d3000 camera , i currently have the 18-55mm VR kit lens . I was thinking buying some new lenses , since im visiting south africa this month so i ordered a nikkor 55-200mm for little bit of wildlife photography on tour ? ..now im thinking for buying another lens my main uses will be family group photos , landscapes and nature more like general purpose and i also like to try out macro, i dont have a huge budget , i can spend around 250-300$ ......kindly suggest me some good lens ....i have heard that 35mm prime lens is good , will it suit my need ? .....guys let me know as soon as possible ...thks

 

[Nikon_Josh]

For landscapes.. I find the 18-55 too long! The 18-55 is a very good value lens though I must say and I have kept mine. I like wide wide wide for landscapes, my 10-20 Sigma is my favourite! And a 35mm would be far too long for my landscape/nature needs.

The 35mm would be good for the purpose of family group photos though and walkaround photography in town. The Bokeh on the 35mm is nothing to shout about from what I hear! I think the 18-55 would suffice for this unless you need the 1.8 aperture. I love my 50mm 1.8 for people shots!

I'm no expert on Macro lenses, but a 35mm will not give you macro. As A) it is not a macro lens and B) it is not really long enough either.

 

[flashfire_06]

so you think i should just keep the 18-55mm ?.....i need a lens which gives sharp pictures while travelling,and normal day to day lens (stay-on lens)?

 

[Nikon_Josh]

For the time being, the 18-55mm will be great! 18mm is 28mm on a full frame, so it is adequate for landscape and nature just it wasn't wide enough for me when I got more into landscape work. It was the lens I had for well over a year before buying more lenses and I have loved it all along. Don't listen to the 'gear head' idiots who will tell you it is a rubbish lens! They spend more time worrying about test charts than actually doing photography!

It does have its limitations though.... A) Cheap Build quality B) It is a slow lens so it is not good for low light and it is not good for portraits either as it does not allow a shallow DOF. If you want a fun lens to go with the 18-55mm, I strongly recommend the 50mm 1.8 AF-D. It is REALLY cheap and provides fantastic pro level quality results while being great in low light and also great at providing a shallow DOF. But I would keep it as a companion to your 18-55mm! It is TINY aswell, so takes up no room and you will learn alot about photography using this lens, you can also produce nice CLOSE UP shots with it with shallow depth of field! I have some nice flower photos from it, but it is by no means a MACRO lens. It does not get close enough.

Many reviews have confirmed what I am saying too... the 18-55mm has great optics at the LOW price level! I found I got sharp photos from this lens 95% of the time and I also placed some photos in an art exhibition using this lens! Truth is Nikon do not believe in producing cheap trash, they have a strong identity because they produce quality.

That still hasn't stopped people coming along and telling me I should chuck my 18-55mm in the bin though! Hope this helps!

 

[Mike_E]

Keep the 18-55mm and get the 35mm. The f1.8 is extremely helpful for twilight and darker shots.

If you want to try macro then wait until you get home and deal with it then. Learning a new skill when it counts (how often to you go to SA after all?) is trying at best and if you pack too much in you won't accomplish nearly as much.

Tip: Take a couple of tube socks to put gravel in to use as a bean bag or get one of these.. Photographer's Bean Bag for Camera Support

 

[flashfire_06]

@mike_E im from india im going to south africa on a trip this month , i wont be going there again in a long time , i was just looking for a sharp and fast lens for general purpose photography while travelling ....? .........i will be moving to canada this september for 2 years( study) ...so i need a lens for street photography and compact enough to carry to class and roam around............are there any lens that will suit my needs with in 300$


i also own the nikkor 55-200mm vr

 

[flashfire_06]

For the time being, the 18-55mm will be great! 18mm is 28mm on a full frame, so it is adequate for landscape and nature just it wasn't wide enough for me when I got more into landscape work. It was the lens I had for well over a year before buying more lenses and I have loved it all along. Don't listen to the 'gear head' idiots who will tell you it is a rubbish lens! They spend more time worrying about test charts than actually doing photography!

It does have its limitations though.... A) Cheap Build quality B) It is a slow lens so it is not good for low light and it is not good for portraits either as it does not allow a shallow DOF. If you want a fun lens to go with the 18-55mm, I strongly recommend the 50mm 1.8 AF-D. It is REALLY cheap and provides fantastic pro level quality results while being great in low light and also great at providing a shallow DOF. But I would keep it as a companion to your 18-55mm! It is TINY aswell, so takes up no room and you will learn alot about photography using this lens, you can also produce nice CLOSE UP shots with it with shallow depth of field! I have some nice flower photos from it, but it is by no means a MACRO lens. It does not get close enough.

Many reviews have confirmed what I am saying too... the 18-55mm has great optics at the LOW price level! I found I got sharp photos from this lens 95% of the time and I also placed some photos in an art exhibition using this lens! Truth is Nikon do not believe in producing cheap trash, they have a strong identity because they produce quality.

That still hasn't stopped people coming along and telling me I should chuck my 18-55mm in the bin though! Hope this helps!

50mm 1.8 AF-D i think wont autofocus on my camera d3000

 

[Markw]

Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 EX DC HSM Macro OS. Sell the 18-55 and buy that, or the new 17-50mm F/2.8 EX DC HSM APO OS if the price is right.

Mark

 

[Nikon_Josh]

Ah right, sorry didn't think about that! You are correct, it won't AF on your camera.

But you could always try the 50 AF-G which is slightly more cash though! I personally myself, would prefer the 50mm as its good for portraits and has much better bokeh. Where as the 35 dosent appeal to me greatly due to poor bokeh and I don't really see how it has huge advantages over the 18-55 in terms of sharpness, I saw a comparison and the differences were minimal. It is hugely faster than the 18-55mm, which means better for low light. But the 18-55 is far more versatile in terms of focal lengths and more importantly the fact is does have a wide angle setting.

If you were to get rid of the 18-55, I would recommend a proper wide angle lens (i.e sigma 10-20 which is good value) and a 35mm 1.8. But as you can imagine this would cost a lot more.

Perhaps the 35mm 1.8 would suit you if you are going to focus on street photography. A 35mm (52mm equivalent) is perfect as a standard lens, some of the most famous street photographers (Cartier Bresson) used a standard lens.

The thing I have learnt though is, with every lens there is a compromise to be made! i.e. a 18-55 would be better for landscapes, a 35mm would be better for street photography. This is why I have different lenses for different purposes, if you are on a budget the best thing to do is to make the best of what you have already. I did this when I first got an DSLR.

Perhaps it is best you keep the 18-55 and get a 35mm 1.8, if portrait photography is not your bag!

 

[Derrel]

I voted that you buy the Nikon 55mm f.18 lense.

 

[Kerbouchard]

I would vote for an SB600, but then again, I will always vote for a first flash over a third lens.

 

[flashfire_06]

OMG this is so difficult ..............i think i will just keep my 18-55mm and 55-200mm and buy a good lens when i upgrade my camera ( atleast 8-10 months ) then will probably buy a good lens ....till then will learn photography better.....

 

[Markw]

Why would you wait until you upgrade your camera to upgrade your lenses? Generally, lenses are upgraded first. This will allow you to make sure you are even in this for the long haul. As with the sharpness comparison, I've used the 50/1.8D, 18-55, and 35/1.8G. The 35 is by far the sharpest of the bunch. I see alot of difference, even between the two primes.

Mark

 

[jritz]

How about the 50mm 1.8G? It's relatively cheap, will autofocus on your d3000, and will give you very good results. Just because it is not a wide angle, does not mean you can't shoot landscapes with it. I've shots landscapes with my 85 and they turn out amazing.

 

[Nikon_Josh]

Why would you wait until you upgrade your camera to upgrade your lenses? Generally, lenses are upgraded first. This will allow you to make sure you are even in this for the long haul. As with the sharpness comparison, I've used the 50/1.8D, 18-55, and 35/1.8G. The 35 is by far the sharpest of the bunch. I see alot of difference, even between the two primes.

Mark

The 35 is sharper than the 50mm 1.8?? first i've heard of it!